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Immune hepatic injury is a liver disease closely related to an immune imbalance of T cells and macrophages. Our previous series of studies have demonstrated that taraxasterol isolated from Taraxacum possesses great anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we explored the preventive effects of taraxasterol and its underlying mechanisms on concanavalin A (Con A)-induced acute hepatic injury in mice. It was found that treatment with taraxasterol significantly decreased the Con A-induced increase of liver index, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and increased the Con A-induced decrease of hepatic glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) production. Taraxasterol also significantly inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IL-4. In addition, treatment with taraxasterol alleviated the hepatic histopathological injury and apoptosis induced by Con A. Furthermore, taraxasterol dramatically down-regulated the expressions of T toll-like receptor (TLR2), TLR4 and nuclear factor-κappaB (NF-κB) p65, and decreased the expression ratio of Bax/Bc1-2 in hepatic tissues. These findings suggest that taraxasterol prevents Con A-induced acute hepatic injury in mice by inhibiting TLRs/NF-κB inflammatory signalling pathway and promoting Bax/Bc1-2 anti-apoptotic signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A general and selective palladium-catalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of all kinds of alkenes with formic acid (HCOOH, FA) is described. Terminal, di-, tri-, and tetra-substituted including functionalized olefins are converted into linear esters with high yields and regioselectivity. Key-to-success is the use of specific palladium catalysts containing ligands with built-in base, e.g., L5. Comparison experiments demonstrate that the active catalyst system not only facilitates isomerization and carbonylation of alkenes but also promotes the selective decomposition of HCOOH to CO under mild conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Truffle ( Tuber spp.), also known as 'underground gold,' is popular in various cuisines because of its unique and characteristic aroma. Currently, truffle fruiting bodies are mostly obtained from nature and semi-artificial cultivation. However, the former source is scarce, and the latter is time-consuming, usually taking 4 to 12 years before harvest of the fruiting body. The truffle submerged fermentation process was first developed in Tang's lab as an alternative to its fruiting bodies. To the best of our knowledge, most reports of truffle submerged fermentation come from Tang's group. This review examines the current state of the truffle submerged fermentation process. First, the strategy to optimize the truffle submerged fermentation process is summarized; the final conditions yielded not only the highest reported truffle biomass but also the highest production of extracellular and intracellular polysaccharides. Second, the comparison of metabolites produced by truffle fermentation and fruiting bodies is presented, and the former were superior to the latter. Third, metabolites (i.e., volatile organic compounds, equivalent umami concentration, and sterol) derived from truffle fermentation could be regulated by fermentation process optimization. These findings indicated that submerged fermentation of truffles can be used for commercial production of biomass and metabolites as a promising alternative to generating its fruiting bodies in bioreactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuber melanosporum, known as the black diamond of cuisine, is highly appreciated for its unique and characteristic aroma, which is mainly due to its volatile organic sulfur-containing compounds (VOSCs). In this work, by adding 5 g/L  l-methionine to the fermentation medium, the activities of aminotransferase and α-ketoacid decarboxylase were significantly enhanced by 103 and 250 %, respectively, while the activities of alcohol dehydrogenase and demethiolase were decreased by 277 and 39 %. Then, the six VOSCs, i.e., methanethiol (MTL), dimethyl sulfide (DMS), dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS), 3-(methylthio)propanal (methional), and 3-(methylthio)-1-propanol (methionol), were first detected in the submerged fermentation of T. melanosporum. These results indicated that the biosynthesis of VOSCs was triggered by aminotransferase and α-ketoacid decarboxylase. The production of methional and methionol increased with the increased concentrations of l-methionine (i.e., 5, 10, 15, and 20 g/L) before day 4 of the culture protocol, and methionol was the major product in the Ehrlich pathway. The production of MTL was significantly decreased after day 4 with a significantly increased DMDS, and DMDS was the major product of the demethiolation pathway. Compared with the demethiolation pathway with a total flux of sulfur of 11.33–24.32 μM, the Ehrlich pathway with a total flux of sulfur of 6,149–10,330 μM was considered the major pathway for the biosynthesis of VOSCs. This is the first report linking the metabolism of l-methionine to the biosynthesis of VOSCs by the Ehrlich and demethiolation pathways during the submerged fermentation of T. melanosporum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aroma active compounds of three Tuber fruiting bodies (i.e., Tuber himalayense, Tuber indicum, and Tuber sinense) were firstly systematically evaluated by instrumental gas chromatography-olfactometry combining with quantitative analysis, aroma reconstitution, and omission tests. Twelve aroma active compounds were characterized by aroma extract dilution analysis, and 3-(methylthio) propanal, 3-methylbutanal, and 1-octen-3-ol with the highest flavor dilution (FD) factor (i.e., 1,024-2,048) were suggested as key contributors to the aroma. Odor activity value (OAV) was employed to determine the relative contribution of each compound to the aroma, and the compound with the highest FD factor also had the highest OAV (i.e., 10,234-242,951). Then, the synthetic blends of odorants (aroma reconstitution) were prepared with OAV larger than 15, and their aromas were very similar to the originals. Omission tests were carried out to verify the significance of 3-(methylthio) propanal, 1-octen-3-ol, and 3-methylbutanal as key compounds in the aroma of tested Tuber fruiting bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform design and partial least squares regression were adopted to quantitatively analyze the effects of plant oil and fatty acid as well as their addition amount and addition time on the performance of Tuber melanosporum submerged fermentation. The regression models showed the optimal scheme was the addition of 1.2 mL soybean oil on day 9, which was validated by experiment. The maximal biomass of 25.89 ± 1.01 g/L and extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) production of 6.51 ± 0.68 g/L were obtained, which were enhanced by 18.5% and 86%, respectively. Palmitic acid was identified to be the key component to stimulate the cell growth and EPS biosynthesis, and stearic acid was beneficial for the production of intracellular polysaccharides. Not only the biomass but also EPS production obtained in this work are the highest reported in the batch fermentation of truffle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel method using Plackett–Burman design (PBD) coupled with Draper–Lin small composite design (SCD) and desirability function (DF) was developed to optimize Tuber melanosporum fermentation medium. Firstly, sucrose, yeast extract, peptone and Mg2+ were identified to be key medium components by PBD. Secondly, in order to evaluate the relationships between responses and the identified key components, mathematical models were developed by SCD. Finally, by using DF, the responses were optimized simultaneously and the optimal concentration was located to be 73g/L sucrose, 11g/L yeast extract, 8g/L peptone, and 46mM Mg2+. Under the identified optimal conditions, the maximal biomass, the production of extracellular (EPS) and intracellular (IPS) polysaccharides was 25.10±0.12g/L, 3.88±0.23g/L and 2.87±0.32g/L, respectively, which agreed with the predicted values well. Compared with the basic medium, the biomass, the production of EPS and IPS was enhanced by 54.4%, 71.7% and 124.2%, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For the first time, a fed-batch fermentation process of Tuber melanosporum was developed for the efficient production of bioactive mycelia and Tuber polysaccharides. Each 1.67g/L of peptone and 8.33g/L of yeast extract were added on day 3, 6, and 9, respectively, and sucrose was fed to maintain its concentration around 35–5g/L when its residual level decreased to 10–5g/L. Then, the maximal biomass, the production of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS) and intracellular polysaccharides (IPS) reached 53.72±2.57g DW/L, 7.09±0.62 and 4.43±0.21g/L, respectively. Compared with the batch culture conducted in the enriched medium, the biomass, the production of EPS and IPS were enhanced by 55.8%, 222.3% and 103.2%, respectively. Not only the cell density but also the production of EPS and IPS were the highest ever reported in truffle fermentation, and the biomass was also the highest as ever reported in mushroom fermentation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Truffles are hypogeous ascomycetes and ectomycorrhizal fungi with unique organoleptic properties. Effects of nitrogen source and its concentration were studied during the submerged fermentation of Chinese truffle Tuber sinense. Yeast extract was identified to be the most favorable for the cell growth, and the next was peptone. The maximal dry cell weight of 19.53±0.13g/L obtained at an initial yeast extract concentration of 25g/L was higher by 40.9% compared to that at 10g/L. Within the range of initial peptone concentration (i.e., 10, 20, 30 and 40g/L) as investigated, the maximal biomass and the production of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) were obtained at 30g/L, while 20g/L was favorable for the production of intracellular polysaccharide (IPS). A mathematical model, which was constructed by response surface methodology combination with Box-Behnken design (BBD), was applied to study the synergic effect of glucose, yeast extract and peptone. According to the model prediction, the optimal initial concentration of glucose, yeast extract and peptone was 60, 30 and 10g/L, respectively. The validation experiment showed the experimental values agreed with the predicted values well. The highest biomass (i.e., 23.94±0.49g/L), the production of EPS (i.e., 1.59±0.06g/L) and IPS (i.e., 1.48±0.26g/L) were obtained under the predicted optimal conditions, which were higher by 22.6%, 42.0% and 16.5% compared with the best results of one-variable-at-a-time experiments, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

High levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) are linked to cancer development, which is tightly controlled by the electron transport chain (ETC). However, the epigenetic mechanisms governing ETC gene transcription to drive mROS production and cancer cell growth remain to be fully characterized. Here, we report that protein demethylase PHF8 is overexpressed in many types of cancers, including colon and lung cancer, and is negatively correlated with ETC gene expression. While it is well known to demethylate histones to activate transcription, PHF8 demethylates transcription factor YY1, functioning as a co-repressor for a large set of nuclear-coded ETC genes to drive mROS production and cancer development. In addition to genetically ablating PHF8, pharmacologically targeting PHF8 with a specific chemical inhibitor, iPHF8, is potent in regulating YY1 methylation, ETC gene transcription, mROS production, and cell growth in colon and lung cancer cells. iPHF8 exhibits potency and safety in suppressing tumor growth in cell-line- and patient-derived xenografts in vivo. Our data uncover a key epigenetic mechanism underlying ETC gene transcriptional regulation, demonstrating that targeting the PHF8/YY1 axis has great potential to treat cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aroma attributes of sulfurous, mushroom and earthy are the most important characteristics of the aroma of Tuber melanosporum. However, these three aroma attributes are absent in the T. melanosporum fermentation system. To improve the quality of the aroma, repeated freeze-thaw treatment (RFTT) was adopted to affect the interplay of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Using RFTT, not only was the score on the hedonic scale of the aroma increased from the 'liked slightly' to the 'liked moderately' grade, but the aroma attributes of sulfurous, mushroom and earthy could also be smelled in the T. melanosporum fermentation system for the first time. A total of 29 VOCs were identified, and 9 compounds were identified as the key discriminative volatiles affected by RFTT. Amino acid analysis revealed that methionine, valine, serine, phenylalanine, isoleucine and threonine were the key substrates associated with the biosynthesis of the 9 key discriminative VOCs. This study noted that amino acid metabolism played an important role in the regulation of the aroma of the T. melanosporum fermentation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first example for the preparation of enantioenriched azo compounds from hydrazones and Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts has been developed, affording azo compounds incorporating an oxindole scaffold in up to 91% yield along with a 93% ee value under the catalysis of (DHQ)2AQN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a potential intermediary feedstock, succinic acid takes an important place in bulk chemical productions. For the first time, a method combining Plackett-Burman design (PBD), steepest ascent method (SA), and Box-Behnken design (BBD) was developed to optimize Actinobacillus succinogenes ATCC 55618 fermentation medium. First, glucose, yeast extract, and MgCO3 were identified to be key medium components by PBD. Second, preliminary optimization was run by SA method to access the optimal region of the key medium components. Finally, the responses, that is, the production of succinic acid, were optimized simultaneously by using BBD, and the optimal concentration was located to be 84.6 g L-1 of glucose, 14.5 g L-1 of yeast extract, and 64.7 g L-1 of MgCO3. Verification experiment indicated that the maximal succinic acid production of 52.7 ± 0.8 g L-1 was obtained under the identified optimal conditions. The result agreed with the predicted value well. Compared with that of the basic medium, the production of succinic acid and yield of succinic acid against glucose were enhanced by 67.3% and 111.1%, respectively. The results obtained in this study may be useful for the industrial commercial production of succinic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a potential intermediary feedstock, succinic acid takes an important place in bulk chemical productions. For the first time, a method combining Plackett-Burman design (PBD), steepest ascent method (SA), and Box-Behnken design (BBD) was developed to optimize Actinobacillus succinogenes ATCC 55618 fermentation medium. First, glucose, yeast extract, and MgCO3 were identified to be key medium components by PBD. Second, preliminary optimization was run by SA method to access the optimal region of the key medium components. Finally, the responses, that is, the production of succinic acid, were optimized simultaneously by using BBD, and the optimal concentration was located to be 84.6 g L-1 of glucose, 14.5 g L-1 of yeast extract, and 64.7 g L-1 of MgCO3. Verification experiment indicated that the maximal succinic acid production of 52.7 ± 0.8 g L-1 was obtained under the identified optimal conditions. The result agreed with the predicted value well. Compared with that of the basic medium, the production of succinic acid and yield of succinic acid against glucose were enhanced by 67.3% and 111.1%, respectively. The results obtained in this study may be useful for the industrial commercial production of succinic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Besides the identified key factors of pH-shift from 3.0 to 4.5 on day 4 and dissolved oxygen tension (DOT) shift from 25 to 10% on day 6, lower shear stress was also demonstrated to be a key factor in scaling-up the fed-batch fermentation of the medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum from a shake flask to a stirred-tank bioreactor. The maximal biomass (22.62g/L), intercellular polysaccharide production (4.74g/L), and ganoderic acid production (798.0mg/L) were attained at a low impeller tip speed of 1.234m/s. Based on the identified key factors of pH-shift, DOT-shift and lower shear stress, the fed-batch fermentation of G. lucidum was successfully step-wise scaled-up from 7.5- to 200-L stirred-tank bioreactor. Through the qualitative and quantitative side-by-side comparison of G. lucidum growth and metabolites accumulation, it was concluded that the comparability of the fed-batch fermentation process were well controlled and the products were maintained during the process scale-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During the submerged fermentation of medicinal mushroom Chinese truffle Tuber sinense, there was no significant effect of metal ion on the cell growth and the production of intracellular polysaccharides, while metal ion and its concentration significantly affected the production of extracellular polysaccharides (EPS). By using the approach of “one-variable-at-a-time”, 50mM Mg2+ was identified to be the most favorable for EPS production, and the next was 10mM K+. A mathematical model, constructed by response surface methodology combination with full factorial design, was applied to study the synergic effect of Mg2+ and K+. EPS production reached its peak value of 5.86g/L under their optimal combination of 30mM Mg2+ and 5mM K+ predicted by the model, which was higher by 130.7% compared with the basal fermentation medium without metal ion. The validation experiment showed the experimental values agreed with the predicted values well. EPS production obtained in this work was the highest reported in the culture of T. sinense. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]